Ouch, I’m Thinking They Got Us Again

December 23, 2013

US House of Representative Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., introduced a bill in Congress on Dec. 4 for government to study the possibility of using a VMT Tax, Vehicle Miles Traveled Tax in lieu of the current Federal Gas Tax.

It's my opinion that increased Federally Mandated Fuel Mileage guidelines, hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, GNG powered vehicles, more conservative driving and even less overall driving; all government-supported fuel economy and use guidelines, have resulted in lower Federal Gas Tax revenues and they are looking at getting back at us for doing such a good job. The VMT Tax would tax everyone, no matter what type of vehicle they have, based on miles traveled to replace the current per/gallon tax.

OUCH, they got us again. And even more disturbing, until a VMT tax can be implemented, he proposed the almost doubling of the current Federal Gas Tax of 18.4 cents a gallon tax to 33.4 cents per gallon. OUCH, they got us again before getting us again. It's like when a utility supplier asks us to cut use, and then, because revenues drop when we do, we get hit with a per unit increase in order to maintain sufficient revenues for the utility.